davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23

BARBARA FRIETCHIE. years OLD. Her
United States flag was displayed from one OF
the little windows in the roof when Stonewall
jackson came to town, where
She leaned far out on the window sill,
And shook it forth with right good will.
Mcclellan had been puzzled to know what
Lee would do next after the battle of Cham
lilly. He knew by September that they
had crossed into Maryland. He followed,
but was uncertain which route Lee would
take from Frederick. He advanced on that
town, but slowly and cautiously, overesti-
mating, as he had done before ut Rich
mond, the strength Of Lees army.
He reached Frederick Sept. II and occu-
pied it after a skirmish with Lees rear
guard. The Confederates had evacuated the
place, but where had they gone nows He
found out in a singular way. A copy of Gen.
Lees orders to his commanding generals had
been left in D. H. Hills headquarters at
Frederick, when the Confederate army quit
ted there September 10. The order was issued
September s, and was three days old when it
was handed to Mcclellan. 1t told him all he
wanted to know.
II Popes dispatch book had been captured
by the Confederates a month before, and the
Federal plans laid bare, the Union army was
avenged now The fatal special order No.
1911" revealed that Harper's Ferry, Va. was
the great objective point of Lee. This special
order became known through the south as the
"Lost Dispatch" Gen. D. H. Hill, however,
declares thnt 1t nisled 1oClallan, and that
it did not amount to anything anyway.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23

GEN ROBERT TONES. the north, at Union
college, New York. In 1861 he was in the
United States senate from Georgia. On the
18th of January he made his last speech in the
senate. 1t was so remarkable that old men,
bers remember it and talk of it 10 this day.
He demanded the right to take slaves into all
the territories of the Union and hold them as
property. He demanded, likewise, that slave
property should be protected in the free states.
"You answer MOI" he shouted. ut is the
price of my allegiance. / would rather see
the population of my own, my native land,
beneath the sod than that they should support
for one hour such government
Gen. Toombs died not long since in Georgia,
boasting to the last that he had never been
RECONSTRUCTED"
For six weeks after Antietam the Union
army remained inactive in Maryland. Nov.
l they crossed again into Virginia. McClel-
Ian was preparing for another campaign
against Lee, whose army had by this time
been increased by recruiting to nearly 10000
men. Lee, when Mcclellan crossed the Poto-
mac, retreated southwark. He himself, with
half his army. marched up the Shenandoah
valley, thence to Culpepper, where he took
position. jackson, with the cavalry, was left
three days behind him, to watch Mcclellan,
and if possible attack him. This division Of
Lees force gave the Federals favorable OPP
portunity for attack Mcclellan was about
to take advantage of it. He massed his army
near Warrenton, six miles north of Lee. He
had resolved on a battle speedily. He was even
directing the disposition of his forces for the
attack when, all unexpected to him, an order
came Nov. q, relieving him from command,
aud appointing Gen. Burnside in his place.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23
GEN. RICHARDSON.

when the fighting "Ns M "'-"'
began, but when the war note sounded the
old military instinct stirred Within them, the
old military habit dominated them again,
and they hastened to tender their services for
the contest.
Gen. Richardson was in both the Seminole
and Mexican wars, and in all the hardest
fighting of the Army of the Potomac up, to-
his death. He had only BEEN appointed q
major general July 4, 1862 He'was actively
engaged at South Mountain three days, be-
fore receiving the mortal wound ut Alisiesan
He did not die at once, but fingered iii suf-
fering state at Frys house, McCellans head
quarters. whittier he was carried from the
field. He died Nov. 8.
Brig. Gen. George B.. Andarsons death
caused profound regret on the Confederate
side He was yet a young man.. He was on
the Confederate center, and was nlortally
wounded shortly after the fatal shot struck
Gen. Richardson on the Union side.
The brigade CT Gen. Roger A. Pryor, who
took his division commanders place after the
latter was wounded, participated i'll the ter
rible fighting at the sunken road.
The career Of Gen. Roger A. Pryor is q
notable instance of the changes time has
brought about. A native Of Dinwiddie
county, Va, he was one OF the most Jealous
of Confederates. He went in person to South
Carolina to urge on the secession cause to the
point of war. He fought for the Confederacy
both in its armies and in its congress. Once
during the war lie was captured by the Fed
erals and imprisoned in Fort Lafayette.
And now, twenty five years after he fought
the North in the bloody battle of Antietam
be finds himself engaged in a peaceful and lu'
crative law practice in New York city
When sometimes, he. sails down the bay for .
pleasure trip in summer, or steams out OF
New York harbor in an iron ship for longer
journey across the Atlantic, as lie gliles past
the Narrows, his eyes rest upon the green
earthworks Of old Fort Lafayette, where he
was prisoner nearly quarter of century
ago.
Very different was that utter irreconcilable,
Robert Toombs, who also bore his share this
bloody day at Sharpsburr His brigade was
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23

haps, is enough to know. He was born in
Pennsylvania in 1926 and appointed to West
Point when only II years old. Both Gen.
Mcclellan and Stonewall jackson were his
classmates at West Point. He served with
distinguished bravery in the Mexican war
and was wounded at Chapultepec. He was
assistant professor of mathematics at West
Point for time. During his brief career in
the civil war he came into honorable notice
whenever fighting was to be done. He
served with the army in the east.
Before the battle of South Mountain Lees
army was widely scattered. Mcclellan had
nearly 100000 men at his command, Lee less
than 5000 all told. Mcclellan recognized
the situation, and made known his intention
to "cut the enemy in two and beat him in de-
tail" Gen. Longstreet was at Hagerstown
with his men, and between that and Harper's
Ferry, in Virginia, Lees lines were stretched
out very thin.
If McClellan's army could pass through
Turner's Gap in Sonth Mountain, he would
have Lees army really cut in two, the forces
of Lorgstreet and D. H. Hill being Q11his
right, the rest Of them, fully half, aihand
Harper's Ferry. Movement with all speed
was demanded ao
At Sept. 49, Iee'heard that the. Union army
was approaching Turner's Gap. Hill was
faced about to meet them, and delay them
until Lees forces could put themselves to-
gether again. Hill left Boonsboro with all
haste, and marched mp South Mountain to
Turner's Gap. He reached the top in the
early morning of the 18th.
Another Sunday battle was that of South
Mountain Fox's Gap was pass through
which what was called the old Sharpsburg
road passed, and the next battle after South
Mountain was to be fought at Sharpsburg.
Gen. Garlands Confederate brigade met
Cox's advance at Fox's Gap. Garland him
self was killed about 10 o'clock, calamity
fighting, and his brigade routed. He was yet
young man, cnd his death was greatly Ia
mented at the south.
In the fight at Fox's Gap the advance line
Of Cox1s brigade was the Twenty-third Ohio
regiment, led by Lieut.. Col R. B. Hayes
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23

Meantime, where was Leee
The war had up to that time been chiefly
waged in what was regarded as Confederate
territory. Stonewall jackson had long been
eager to change this tactics and carry the
war into Union territory. Both he and Lee
had been casting an eye over Maryland.
Why not cross the Potomac into Maryland
by one of Jackson's famous foot cavalry
marches, subsst on the country and threaten
Washington from the norths
There was feeling in the south that Mary
land, geographically, politically and socially,
belonged to the Confederacy. The state con-
tanned many secession sympathizers 1t was
believed that the sight Of Lee and jackson
and the stars and bars once within their bor-
ders would rouse all the Confederate enthu-
sjasm that sumbered in the breasts of the
Marylanders
Gems. Lee and jackson resolved to invade
Maryland Lee issued proclamation to the
people of that state, telling them that he was
coming among them to aid them in throwing
off that foreign yoke which had inflicted such
wrongs and outrages upon the citizens Of q
commonwealth allied to the states of the
south by the strongest ties.
Col. Bradley johnson, a Confederate Mary
lander, was authorized to get recruits for the
southern army in his native state He invited
his fellow citizens to join the Confederate
ranks 1--WE have arms for YOU" he said.
"Let each man provide himself with stout
pair of shoes, good blanket and tin cup.
Jackson's men have no baggage"
Lee only waited for d. H. Hills brigades
from Richmond to Join him. thus increasing
his battle worn and storm beaten army some
what; then, September q he pushed on to-
yards the Potomac and the north. jackson
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23


It will be seen from the map that the An
tietam is creek which flows nearly due south
through Maryland to the westward of and
nearly parallel with the South Mountain.
Across Antietam creek, and OF its west side,
is the village of Sharpsburg. Along Antie-
tam creek and in and around Sharpsburg the
bloody battle. of the 18th Of September was
fought between the forces of Lee and Nc.
Celan.
The intervening DAYS had given Lees army
time to collect itself. Harper's Ferry sur
rendered to Jackson on the 18th, and imme-
diately he and Gen. Walker, with all their
forces, set out by swift marches to join Lee
and relieve him of his peril. They crossed
the Potomac to the Maryland side at the
Shepherdstown ford, from which a road led
directly to Sharpsburg.
The Confederatcs name tine battle Of the
18th for the town., Sharpsburg; the Federals
name it Antietain, after the creek. Lees
fighting force at Sharpsburg was only 81 900.
He had entered Maryland Sept 4 with not
quite $1,000 infantry troops He had lost
nearly 10000 men by exhaustion and stray
Cling in those thirteen days. In the battle Of
Antietam Mcclellan had 81, I64 men, 10000
being engaged in the fight
SOHCeIIllls, ILLS uSuo VCu- A<CHS,SLicCo
speaks his mind from the Confederate
standpoint ill his usual free manner
Speaking of tho night of tie 18TH. after Lee
heard of the fall Of Harper's Ferry, he says:
fright then we should have retired from
Sharpsburg and gone to- the Virginia side IF
the Potomac"
Mcclellan followed the retreat of Hill and
Longstreet on the 18th. There was aslight
skirmish on the borders of the Antetam on the
18th. During all the 10th both armies were
busy preparing for the tremendous fight
which they knew was impending. BY the
18th the Confederate Gen McLaws, too had
been able to join Lee at Sharpsburg.
The morning Of September II found most
of McClellan's army across the Antietam, on
the same side with the Confederates Hooker
had crossed first, the afternoon of the 10th.
There was on that day an indecisive brush
between Gems. Hooker and Hood. Gen.
Hooker's corps, formed the extreme Fed
eral night at the Eattle Of Antietam
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23

went first, sweeping swiftly forward. He
forded the river at Point OF Rocks, thirty
miles below Harpcr's Ferry, and raised tho
Confederate flag in Maryland,
When Jackson reached mdstream crossing
the Potomac, it reused all the suppressed en-
thusiasm OF his nature. He paused mo-
ment, gazed across to the northern shore ana
waved his hat His soldiers caught the move
ment; cheer OH cheer rent the air, the bands
struck up maryland, My Maryland" and
ten thousand voices caught the refrain 80
the Confederate army entered Maryland
Leo followed Immediately behind Jackson.
Tho Confederate army amounted to about
10000 men in all. They advanced swiftly on
the town Of Frederick, Nd, reaching and
taking possession of it September6.
"The Lord bless your ragged, dirty souls"
said Jealous southern woman to the ad-
vance.
The march had been so rapid that thou
sands dropped by the way and only 10000
entered Frederick. II there had been any
thing triumphant or spectacular In their APP
pearance, had they come with waving ban
ners and snow white plumes and shining new
uniforms, they would have obtained far more
recruits for the southern army. The instinct
for the dramatic, the poetic and the pictur-
esque, ever alive in the southern breast,
would not have been appealed to in vain.
But Lees men, brave and tried soldiers
though they were, were dirty and ragged and
hungry Many of them had no shoes, and
marched with bleeding feet and travel stained
garments. 1t was not very poetic, neither
inviting The recruits Lee and Jackson had
fondly hoped for were rot obtained in any
great numbers. When it came to
the scratch, Maryland seemed more Fed
eral than Confederate, yet it was at
Frederick that the incident which gave
rise to Whitter's poem of Barbara Friet-
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23

through Cramp-
toms Gap lat daybreak next morning" He
was twelve miles away. II the march had
been made that night the fate of battle might
have been changed. franklin would have
passed Champions Gap without opposition,
and thus been safe between the two parts of
Lees army on the north and south. AS it
was, he reached the Gap about noon of the
14th. The Confederates were fully apprised
Of his movements by that time, and McLaws
had sent Gen. Cobb with three brigades to
meet him. There was bloody fighting for
three hours. Franklin and his men defeated
Cobb, gained the crest Of the Gap and passed
beyond and westward down into Pleasant
valley, between South mountain and Elk
mountain.
Gen. Lafayette McLaws rendered efficient
aid to the Confcderates throughout the whole
Maryland campaign, beginning at; at the siege
himself at Fredericksburg and afterwards at
Gettysburg. Gen. McLaws was Georgian
and q graduate of West Point in 1872 He
served in the Mexican war. His active fight
ing life continued through the whole of the
civil war, and he surrendered finally with
Lee in 1865.
In what may be called the three Gap fights
on South Mountain that Sunday, September
IA, 1862, the Federals were in every case act
ually victorious But the strategic victory
was all on the side of the Confederates.
That day gave time for Lees scattered forces
to begin to get together again. D. H.. Hill
says that he was fighting for time" all that
bloody day. He gained it. II McClellan's
army had crossed the passes even one day
earlier Harper's Ferry might have been saved
to the Federals, and Lees army would have
found it impossible to reunite.
South Mountain itself is not single peak,
but one long, unbroken ridge, continuing
many miles. At its summit near Turner's
Gap is point called the Mountain House.
From this elevated position the Confederate
general Hill gazed on the approach Of Nc
Clellans army in the valley below. Far as
the eye could see in the distance, the march.
ing men came on, column upon column. at
was grand and glorious spectacle" says
an army before. did not see one like it af-
terwards."
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23

"HN' 'e'S" n T. !" iHD' Antietam in g
vicinity of Sharpsburg. and over these Nc
Clellan's fighting men passed. Hooker
began the battle calamity at dawn on
the fifth, attacking Jackson's command
on the Confederate left. Gen. Lawton
received the first shock Hookers men
carried all before them at first, throw
ing the Confederate left into confusion.
The Federals rent the air with cheers. Hook
er sent to Mansfield for support, and pressed
on. Gen. Mansfield responded Immediately,
and was bringing his corps into action when
he fell. MORALLY wounded. At 3 o'clock
Hooker thought the battle Of Antietam
was won. 1t was his understanding that
the action was to he general, that
while he attacked the Confederate left, the
Federal center and left were to be moved
against the enemy at the same moment. He
had driven back Lawton's division. As far
as was visible Confederates were retreating
As he was preparing his batteries to sweep
their turned ranks a shot struck him and
he was severely wounded. They carried him
of the field to McClellan's headquarters, and
Sumner took command. But the Confeder-
ates had not been defeated. No general &C.
ton was being fought. Hill. Hood and Stu
art FASTENED to the relief of jackson, and in
turn routed utterly Hooker's corps, now de-
prived of their commander. But Summers
corps took its place quickly, and the Federal
corps of French and Richardson moved on
the Confederates. Gen. Richardson met his
death here. Lee at once ordered up every
man that could be drawn from the Confeder-
ate right, leaving only 2,4O0 men there.
These were commanded by ID. r. Jones. OPP
posed to them was the Federal left, compris-
IL H..
mand had been divided for some unknown
reason, and he had been exchanged from the
extreme right, where he belonged, to the
left. His Ninth corps, under Cox, was the ex-
treme left; his First corps, under Hooker.
was the extreme right. He himself remained
with the left.
SedgwIcls's division of Summers corps re-
placed Hooker on the extreme Federal right
the fight went on botly. McLaws and
Walker, recently from Harper's Ferry, went
into action on the Confederate left. Sedg-
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23
Henry Kyd Dou~lrs, Confederate officer

Henry Eyd Douglas, a Confederate officer
who Witnessed tn surrender of Gen. Julius
White to Stoncwall Jackson, speaks OF the
contrast in appearance between the two. He
says:
''Gen. White riding handsome black
horse, was carefully dressed, and had on UNI
furnished gloves boots and sword. On the
other hand, Gen. jackson was the dingiest,
worst dressed and worst mounted general that
q warrior who cared for good looks and style
would wish to surrender to-"
Gen. Lees idea in possessing himself OF
Harpcr's Ferry was to gain n pc tion COM
manding both north and south. From
Harper's Ferry he could move north into
Pennsylvania. This would draw McClellan's
army away from the capital, leaving 1t de-
Tended by only small force. Lees army
could then march swiftly OH Washington in
the rear, and perhaps even take the capital
city of the Union.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23

await REINFORCE GEN. JOSEPH HOOKER.
ments At 2 o'clock they came pouring in,
Willcox's and Sturgis' divisions and Harlan's,
Fairchild's and Gibbons brigades.
Gen. Hooker's division was sent to sweep
around towards the north and do up the fight
ing at Turner's Gap.
Fighting Joe Hooker distinguished him
self at South Mountain as elsewhere He
was already a major general Of volunteers,
and commanded the First division Of the
First army corps (Burnside's). His name be-
longs to the whole country, but he was q ma
tive of Massachusetts, born in 1915. He was
graduated at West Point in 1887, and entered
the artillery. He served in the Mexican war,
but resigned ut length from the army and
settled in California. He entered the United
States volunteer service from that state in
1861, and was commissioned brigadier gen.
eral. He was severely wounded at the battle
of Antietam or Sharpsburg, which imme-
diately followed that of South Mountain.
Early in 1868 the command Of the whole
Army of the Potop,ac was given to him. He
held it about six months, then was transferred
to the west and served at Chattanooga and
through the Atlanta campaign. Gen.
Hooker died on Long Island in 1879.
Meantime, while the Federal army was re-
ceiying re-enforcements at South Mountain,
the Confederates had not been left without
them. At o'clock Longstreet's division
came up after hurried march from Hagers-
town. During the forenoon the Confederate
general. Hill, had had only five brigades with
which to confront nearly all of McClellan's
slowly arriving army. When Longstreet's
command arrived in the afternoon there were
fourteen brigades in all, against eighteen
Federal brigades, with all the rest of Nc
Clellan's army in the rear.
The first advance toward Turner's Gap had
been made on Saturday, Sept. 10, by Pleas
onions cavalry. This apprised the Confed-
crates that Mcclellan was close after them.
Gen. Pleasonton, however, on that day merely
made forward movement and retired, per-
ceiving Colquitt's and Garland's Confederate
brigades at the Gap.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23


Gen. Julius White was at Martinsburg,
Va, Federal outpost some miles away,
with 2, 500 men.
Military critics from the safe distance both
of time and space say now that when news
came that Lees whole army was in that
vicinity, though on the Maryland side of the
Potomac, the garrison at Harper's Ferry
should have either been strengthened or the
place evacuated and the troops sent to join
the main Union army. Neither was done, al
though Mcclellan had recommended that the
Ferry should be abandoned, as it was Of no
great strategic importance But Gen. Hal
leck thought Harper's Ferry must be held at
all hazard, just as Lee thought it must be
taken at all hazard.
Lees special order No. 191" informed
Mcclellan that jackson was to cross the Po-
tomac and take possession Of Martinsburg,
Va, and the Baltimore and Ohio railroad at
that point. McLaws was to take possession
Of Maryland heights, then of the town Of
Harper's Ferry, opposite. Walker was to
cross the Potomac below Harper's Ferry,
move up the Virginia side and possess him
self Of Loudon heights and cooperate with
McLaws. Byreferring to the map the reader
will see where the points named are situated.
The story may be told briefly. Harper's
Ferry was surrendered to the Confederates
Sept. Is, with all the garrison, except the
cavalry, which had escaped. There was
sharp fighting. Col Miles received a wound
from which he died next day. At the ap-
proach of jackson Gen. White, with his little
command, had left Martinsburg and Joined
Miles at Harper's Ferry. Miles being
wounded, it was White who surrendered the
garrison by advice of council of war. There
have been few points Of controversy during
our civil war more hotly discussed than
whether Miles should have surrendered Har-
per's Ferry. The surrounding heights COM
manded the place completely, and these
speedily fell into possession of the Confeder-
ates, because Miles had not men enough to
man them.
After Col. Miles dea. h his action in yield
ing up Harper's Ferry was censured by the
government Gen. Julius White, in recent
number of The Century, asks those who still
find fault with the surrender to explain how
a garrison of raw recruits, under fire for the
first time, could hold three square miles
against veteran soldiers three times their
number, and occupying positions which COM
manded the whole field.
Col Miles had sent urgent messages both
to Halleck and Mcclellan that he could not
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23

NJ. u.
attached TO McClellan's reorganized Army OF
the Potomac he commanded what was called
the Kanawha division in Reno's Ninth corps:
At South Mountain Reno was killed and
the full command Of the corps devolved on
Cox. Gen. Cox was made major general
after the Atlanta campaign. At the battle OF
Franklin, Tenn, he rode forward with a
drawn sword in his hand and rallied his men:
He was governor of Ohio in 1865 and United
States secretary of the interior in 1867. he
is at present engaged in legal practice in Ohio
and is president Of the board OF managers OF
the Cincinnati university. He is a man OF
commanding presence and distinguished legal
and literary ability. He has written several
books and pamphlets on war history, one vol
ume being devoted to the Atlanta campaign.
Maj. Gen. Reno, the Ninth corps com.
mander, came up to the scene of the fgi1ttnng
late in the afternoon, and had scarcely